Password protection system and method

• US 7,734,779 B1
• Filed: 08/24/2006
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gula Consulting Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Gregory Alexander Piccionelli
• Inventors: Piccionelli, Gregory Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamza, Faruk
• Application Number:
  US11/510,335
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/203, 709217-219, 709225-226, 709/245, 726 2- 5, 726/27
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

A system and method for providing a password to a user on a network, the network having provider computer and a user computer, the provider computer comprising a password system configured to issue a password to a user of the user computer for use in accessing age-restricted content once a determination has been made that the user is age appropriate.

Claims

1. A method for providing a password to a user on a network, the network having a provider computer and a user computer, the provider computer and the user computer being in communication there between, the provider computer is configured to issue the password to the user of the user computer for use in accessing an age-restricted content, comprising:

receiving, at the provider computer, a request from the user computer for accessing a password system;

receiving, at the password system, location information corresponding to a location of the user computer;

determining age appropriateness of the user by verifying that the location information associated with the user computer is associated with at least one age restricted location;

transmitting, from the provider computer, the password to the user computer upon verifying that the location information associated with the user computer is associated with the at least one age restricted location; and

associating a time period with the password, the password being valid during the time period and expiring upon expiration of the time period;

wherein verifying that the location information associated with the user computer is associated with the at least one age restricted location comprises receiving user provided data from the user, the user provided data corresponding to the user'"'"'s response to a question associated with data displayed in the at least one age restricted location, wherein the data displayed in the at least one age restricted location is changed over time.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user computer is a hand held device.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location information is global positioning satellite information, and wherein determining age appropriateness further comprises:

receiving, from the user computer, the global positioning satellite information associated with the user computer; and

comparing the global positioning satellite information of the user computer to a database comprising identifying known age restricted locations and their associated global positioning satellite information.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

storing first data in a database at a first time, the first data representing that a determination has been made that the user was in the at least one age restricted location;

wherein determining age appropriateness of the user comprises determining, at a second time that is later than the first time, whether the user is considered of an appropriate age by determining if the first data is stored in the database.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data displayed in the at least one age restricted location comprises data visible or obtainable only in the at least one age restricted location.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising allowing access to the age-restricted content to the user upon the user having the valid password and inhibiting access to the age-restricted content to the user upon the user having the expired password.

7. A password providing system configured to issue a password to a user of a user computer for use in accessing age-restricted content, comprising the user computer and at least one processor for connection on a network and configured to:

receiving a request for the password from the user computer on the network;

receiving location information corresponding to a location of the user computer from which request for the password is received;

determining age appropriateness of the user of the user computer by verifying that the location information associated with the user computer is associated with at least one of age restricted location;

transmitting the password to the user computer upon verifying that the location information associated with the user computer is associated with the at least one age restricted location; and

associating a time period with the password, the password being valid during the time period and expiring upon expiration of the time period;

wherein verifying that the location information associated with the user computer is associated with the at least one age restricted location comprises receiving user provided data from the user, the user provided data corresponding to the user'"'"'s response to a question associated with data displayed in at least one of the age restricted location, wherein the data displayed in the at least one age restricted location is changed over time.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

storing first data in a database at a first time, the first data representing that a determination has been made that the user was in the at least one age restricted location;

wherein determining age appropriateness of the user comprises determining, at a second time that is later than the first time, whether the user is considered of an appropriate age by determining if the first data is stored in the database.

9. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the data displayed in the at least one age restricted location comprises data visible or obtainable only in the at least one age restricted location.

10. The method system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least one processor further configured to allow access to the age-restricted content to the user upon the user having the valid password and inhibit access to the age-restricted content to the user upon the user having the expired password.